A visit to the Scott Polar Research Institute

Grumbling feebly about how cold the day was, the team travelled to visit the hallowed Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge University last Friday. 

SPRI was founded in 1920 as a memorial to Captain Robert Scott and his four companions, who died returning from the South Pole in 1912. When Scott’s last words, ”For God’s sake look after our people” were made known to the British nation, the response was tremendous. From this plea, the Institute was born.

The Institute is the oldest international centre for Polar Research within a university. During the early years when it occupied one room in the Sedgwick Museum of Geology in Cambridge, the Institute’s aim was to provide a place where polar travellers and explorers could meet, and where material of polar interest might be collected and made accessible for future research.

As well as the fantastic Shackleton Memorial Library and online Picture Library, there is a small museum exhibiting some fascinating polar memorabilia. Letters sent from Scott to the relatives of his dying companions, Oates’ sleeping bag, Frank Debenham’s sledging harness… all sorts of things to set the hairs on the back of my neck tingling, and to quicken the pulse as I reflected on how, one year from now, we will be following in their footsteps. The museum reminded me of the excitement of expedition planning, and how much Scott’s journey still impacts on our emotions today. 

We had travelled to SPRI to talk to David Rootes. David is an expert on Antarctica, with decades of valuable experience. He was very generous with his time and talked with us about the various logistical challenges we face concerning getting into, and out of, Antarctica. We came away from the meeting reassured that our plans are sound, and more determined than ever to find a title sponsor as soon as possible.

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